Ventilating panels



March 14, 1967 K, ,.0| 5QN v VENTILATING PANELS Filed Jan. l5, 1964 United States Patent Online 3,388,586 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,308,586 VENTILATING PANELS Kern C. Olson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Wood Conversion Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed ian. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,210 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-99) The present invention relates to Ventilating panels suitable for constructing Ventilating ceilings and the like.

In these installations wherein a plenum chamber above a ceiling delivers air through the ceiling to the space below, it is known to provide Ventilating openings in the ceiling and suitable means to adjust the degree of opening in each panel for the particular chamber to be ventilated. When the ceiling is formed of a plurality of individual rectangular panels suitably supported on hangers so that the passage of air past the edges of the panels is prevented, the panels are constructed to permit opening the passage through each panel to a desired degree within limits.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel having a multiplicity of small openings through the body portion thereof and means on the back of the panel closing at least some and preferably all of said openings which means is easily rendered ineffective or subject to removal at one or more fractional areas of the panel to open passage through openings previously covered.

It is another object of the invention to provide spaceclosing sealing means against the passage of air past the periphery of a panel, and if desired to provide such sealing means carried by the panel.

The invention is carried out by covering the holes at the back of a Ventilating panel with a severable or ruptural air-impervious layer, so that any desired number of holes at the back, from less to all of them, may be opened by removal yof the air-impervious layer over each hole to be opened for passage of air.

In particular, the invention may be carried out by covering the entire back of the panel with air-impervious sheet material, so related to the panel that desired portions of it may be easily removed while the remaining portions remain in hole-closing relation to the panel when in use with a plenum cham-ber. .This may be accomplished by securing a sealing sheet of material to the panel so as to be xedly located over at least a portion of the back of the panel and preferably covering the entire back. This may be done in one Way by adhesive only at locations within a peripheral band at the edges of the back. When the sheet is provided with weakened structural lines, such as a score-line or a tear-line of perforations one or more fractional areas of the sheet may be easily and neatly removed. However, such lines are not necessary in View of the ease with which a covering sheet may be punctured or cut with a razor blade.

Sheet material such as paper, metal foil and plastic lms are suitable, not only for removal of whole sections thereof, but for puncturing over selected holes, if desired.

To provide a ceiling of such panels they should be mounted so that air does not leak past the edges of the panels. Because of the need to operate individually on each panel for a particular installation, the panels are intended for use by dropping them into a recess of a grid providing a rectangular supporting ledge from which they may be easily lifted, and preferably by providing suitable edge-sealing means.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a suitable mounting grid for the panels and also a suitable panel construction.

FIG. 1 represents a portion of the exposed face of a ceiling showing a Ventilating panel and the related grid members which support it.

FIG. 2 is an inverted enlarged fragmentary cross section on line 2 2 of FIG. 1 showing one form of sealing means.

FIG. 3 is a modied form of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an edge View of a panel showing a projecting edge of a covering layer.

FIG. 5 is a View of the back of a panel illustrating one way of providing tear-lines.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of separate embodiments showing sealing gaskets apart from the panel.

In FIG. 1 the numerals 10 and 12 designate the exposed faces of two parallel inverted T-runners and the numerals 14 and 16 designate two crossing members. The dotted lines represent the locations of the vertical Webs from which extend opposite horizontal ilanges forming a rectangular ledge on which to lay a panel P. Panel P is shown as having Ventilating openings 18, of which only a few are shown, these being illustrative only of function and not of structure. The prime numbers 10', 12', 14 and 16 represent the four flanges which support panel P.

In FIG. 2 the runner 12 has vertical web 28, suitably suspended by means not shown. It has a conventional form as a T of sheet metal deformed to provide horizontal anges 12 and 12".

Panel P as shown may or may not be of sound-absorbing quality, but has openings through it for ventilating. Originally, at least a portion of the -back 22 of the panel and preferably the entire back is covered with an airimpervious sheet 24, adequately secured to the panel, preferably only at locations within a peripheral band around the four edges as illustrated by adhesive 26, representing either spots of adhesive or a continuous band of adhesive.

The covering sheet 24 functions to block passage of air through those holes such as 28 which it covers. Sheet 24 is preferably unsecured to the back 22, except in the area of the peripheral band, so that portions of it may be removed, as by tearing or cutting out, to uncover holes such as 30 for a predetermined degree of opening through the panel.

Marginal portions of the sheet at the panel back serve to permit the sheet to extend beyond the panel at the four edges, a portion of such .extension being designated by numeral 32 which may, if desired, be secured by adhesive 34 to the edge-face 35, although this is not necessary, and further designated by the free terminal portion 38. As the panel P is placed on its support the free portion 32-38 is automatically positioned as shown and is held there by air pressure, indicated by arrow 40 in the plenum chamber. When the portion 32 is not adhesively secured as shown, the sheet 24 must be suciently flexible to yield to the air pressure for location as shown. When the portion 32 is adhesively secured to the edge-faces as shown at 34, the adhesive 26 at the back may be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a modied form of FIG. 2 in which a sheet 24a secured at 26a has extending portions 32a too narrow to seal against the flanges, but sullciently wide when flexed to lie against a suitably wide vertical web, such as 20a. Sheet material 24EL 4must be suiciently stiff to resist the air pressure and bridge the gap as shown.

FIG. 4 represents panel P with openings 18 and covering sheet 24 as it is present before installing, the extending portion 32a not being secured to the side of the panel.

When sealing means apart from the panel is provided,

the covering sheet 24 may have its edges coincident with the edges of the panel P" having openings 18 as shown in FIG. 6.

In FIG. 5 the peripheral band shown by the dotted line 42 represents the preferred area within which to locate adhesive 26. Although the sheet 24 may be cut as mentioned, it may be desired to provide perforate tear-lines 3 such as 44 so that portions may be removed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

To provide the peripheral sealing for panels such as shown in FIG. 5, a gasket may be placed between the panel and the grid. In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, such seal is shown in part at least on the horizontal ilange.

In FIG. 6 the panel P with openings 18' and covering sheet 24' has a corner 46 formed by edge-face 48 and ceiling face 50 resting in a illet 52 of yielding sealing material, such as a soft rubber, closed-cell foam with or Without a skin, a skin-covered open-cell foam, or skinless open-cell foam which yields to the weight of the panel sufficiently to provide a darn against the flow of air through it. The fillet 52 is placed in the corner formed by the web and the flange 12. Preferably, the fillet is secured to one or both of the corner walls of the runner 12, either by added adhesive or by being foamed in situ, as may be done with polyurethane and Vinyl foams.

It is noted that in FIG. 6 there is a space 54 between the edge of the flange 12 and the ceiling face 50. To avoid forming such a space, a gasket strip may be placed at the edge of the flange l2 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 shows panel P' and the runner 12 of FIG. l with a sealing gasket 56 secured to flange 12. FIG. 8 is a modied form of FIG. 7 in which the sealing gasket 56 covers the flange l2'. The gaskets 56 and 56 may be of material above mentioned for the fillet 52.

Certain panels have a rough face or fissures, such that there is a chance that the lceiling faces may not tightly seal on gaskets such as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. For such panels, and for all panels, a preferred seal is `shown in FIG. 9.

ln FIG. 9 a grid member 62 has its Vertical web 64, on its panel-facing side provided with a strip of elastomer foam 66 secured to the web. This may be a strip of open-cell foam with an exterior skin or a strip of closedcell foam with or without skin. It also may be a strip of open-cell skinless foam which can yield to pressure to close passage through it, but its thickness must be properly adjusted to the width of space in which it iscompressed. Such a preformed strip of polyurethane or Vinyl or other foamed material may be adhesively secured to the web 64. The strip 66 with a skin may be provided by forming the foam in situ, as by depositing on the web a mixture of the ingredients of a self-foaming composition, such as those which produce polyurethane and vinyl foams. When both sides of the web'are so used to foam in situ, the web may, if desired, have a series of holes 68 through it to provide foam ller as integral connections between gasket strips 66 and 66'. These strips are located close to the horizontal flanges 70 and 7G', in position to face the square edge face of a panel, such as P having openings 18 and Vcovering sheet 24 secured by adhesive 26', and with its edges coincident with the edges of the panel.

It is preferred that the strips 66 be convex in crosssection as shown so as not to provide an obstruction to entry of the panel. The dimensions of the assembly are :such that when the panel is in place, it iiattens the convex face to assure a tight seal, as shown by the contact area 68' on strip 66. When the strips 66 are foarned in situ by conventional procedures the preferred skin-surface is normally provided, but it is to be understood that a skin face is not essential to a perfect seal as described above.

From the foregoing it is to be understood that the invention may be practiced in other ways than those herein illustrated, and that modifications are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In my cotiled application Serial No. 337,287, the sealing means between the panel and the grid is described and claimed.

I claim:

l. In a Ventilating ceiling having a Ventilating panel with Ventilating openings through its body portion for the passage of air through the Ventilating panel, and having a supporting grid including horizontal flanges providing a circuitous ledge removably supporting the Ventilating panel, a layer of air-impervious material over at least a portion of the back of the Ventilating panel, said layer covering .at least some of the Ventilating openings of the body portion and said layer being secured to the panel at regions other than the portion of the back having said covered Ventilating openings, said layer haviii-g means at a selected portion within the periphery of the panel and in close proximity to at least one ventilating opening in the panel for readily severing and removing a portion of the layer over said Ventilating opening.

2. A Ventilating ceiling according to claim l in which the said layer extends freely as ilexible sheet material beyond the periphery of the panel and in space-closing contact with the grid.

3. A Ventilating ceiling according to claim 1 in which the said layer extends freely as flexible sheet lmaterial beyond the periphery of the panel, and in which said extensions overlie the edge-faces of the panels and extend therefrom and overlie an adjacent portion of the grid in space-closing Contact.

4. A Ventilating panel for a Ventilating ceiling cornprisi'ng a body portion having Ventilating openings therethrough for the passage of air and an air-impervious layer over at least a portion of the back of the panel secured to said panel at the marginal edges of the panel and unsecured over the area of the panel containing Ventilating holes covered thereby, said layer covering at least some of the openings and said layer having means at a selected portion within the periphery of the panel and in close proximity to at least one Ventilating opening in the panel for readily severing and removing a portion of the layer over said Ventilating opening.

5. A Ventilating panel according -to` `claim 4 in which said layer extends freely away from the panel periphery as a flexible sheet.

6. A Ventilating panel for a Ventilating ceiling comprising a body portion having Ventilated openings therethrough and an air-impervious layer'over at least a portion of the back of the panel secured to said panel only at the margins of the panel and unsecured over an area of the panel containing -at least one Ventilating opening, said layer covering at least soine of the openings, and some of the openings being free of cover by Said layer, said layer having means at a selected portion within the periphery of the panel and in close proximity to said Ventilating opening in the panel for readily severing and removing a portion of the layer over said Ventilating opening.

7. A Ventilating panel having a plurality of Ventilating openings therethrough for the passage of air, and an airimpervious layer of sheet material over at least a portion of said openings at the back of the panel, said layer being secured to said panel at marginal edges of the panel and being unsecured to the panel at the area containing the covered openings, said layer havin-g tear lines at selected portions thereof covering Ventilating openings to Ifacilitate removal of selected portions of the layer to uncover selected openings for the passage of air therethrough.

8. In a Ventilating lceiling having a Ventilating panel with Ventilating openings through its body portion for the passage of air through the Ventilating panel, and having a supporting grid including horizontal flanges providing a lcircuitous ledge removably supporting the ventilating panel, a sheet of air-impervious material over at least a portion of the back of the Ventilating panel, said sheet covering at least some of the Ventilating openings of the body portion and having a removable area covering at least one Ventilating opening in the body por-tion of the Ventilating panel, said sheet having weakened tear-lines therein for removing said portion which covers said opening.

9. A Ventilating panel for a Ventilating ceiling comprising a body portion having Ventilating openings therethrough for the passage of air, and an air-impervious sheet over at least a portion of the back of the panel secured to said panel at marginal edges of the panel and unsecured over the area of the panel containing ventilating openings covered thereby, said sheet covering at least some of the openings, and said sheet Ihaving at least one removable area covering at least one Ventilating opening in the body portion of the Ventilating panel, said sheet having weakened tear-lines therein for removing said portion which covers said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Sabine ISI-33.1 Ericson 52-484 X Schwartz et al 98-400 X Hanson et al 98-40 Rees et al 52-484 X Ericson 98-40 FOREIGN PATENTS France.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A VENTILATING CEILING HAVING A VENTILATING PANEL WITH VENTILATING OPENINGS THROUGH ITS BODY PORTION FOR THE PASSAGE OF AIR THROUGH THE VENTILATING PANEL, AND HAVING A SUPPORTING GRID INCLUDING HORIZONTAL FLANGES PROVIDING A CIRCUITOUS LEDGE REMOVABLY SUPPORTING THE VENTILATING PANEL, A LAYER OF AIR-IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BACK OF THE VENTILATING PANEL, SAID LAYER COVERING AT LEAST SOME OF THE VENTILATING OPENINGS OF THE BODY PORTION AND SAID LAYER BEING SECURED TO THE PANEL AT REGIONS OTHER THAN THE PORTION OF THE BACK HAVING SAID COVERED VENTILATING OPENINGS, SAID LAYER HAVING MEANS AT A SELECTED PORTION WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE PANEL AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AT LEAST ONE VENTILATING OPENING IN THE PANEL FOR READILY SEVERING AND REMOVING A PORTION OF THE LAYER OVER SAID VENTILATING OPENING. 